Barcelona And Real Madrid Aims To Maintain Momentum And Avoid LaLiga Slip-Ups

Barcelona and Real Madrid are eyeing an in-form Atletico Madrid in La Liga, concerned about a potential dip in performance following their demanding away victories in the Champions League this week.

A 3-2 victory at Borussia Dortmund ensured Barcelona will advance to the knockout phase of Europe’s top club competition, while Madrid won by the same scoreline away to a previously unbeaten Atalanta.

That victory kept the holders in the race for automatic qualification to the last 16, but Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged that the match took a significant toll on his injury-riddled squad.

“It was a tough match because Atalanta demanded a lot from us physically,” said Ancelotti, whose side trail leaders Barcelona by two points but have a game in hand.

Vinicius Junior scored on his return from a hamstring injury in Italy on a night Kylian Mbappe netted his 50th Champions League goal before going off injured.

“We have to hang in there until Christmas,” added Ancelotti, who also welcomed back Rodrygo and is expecting to have Eduardo Camavinga fit again soon.

“The calendar is very demanding; we have a reduced squad, and that doesn’t allow us to rotate players as much. We have to hang in there for the time being.”

Madrid makes the short trip to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, knowing they can snatch the top spot from Barcelona, for 24 hours at least, before next week’s Intercontinental Cup final in Qatar.

But they could be without Mbappe due to the hamstring problem he suffered on Tuesday.

“Mbappe has some discomfort in his hamstrings. It doesn’t seem serious but we’ll see,” Ancelotti said after the Atalanta game.

“He couldn’t sprint, it hurt him a bit and we thought it best to replace him.”

Barcelona will host a struggling Leganés on Sunday to reverse their recent domestic slump, having managed just one win in their last five games, which has allowed their title rivals to close the gap.

Atletico are three points adrift of Barcelona, having also played a game less and have won five in a row in La Liga going into Sunday’s home derby with Getafe.

Not far behind is Athletic Bilbao, whose 2-0 win at Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce on Wednesday pushed them closer to the Europa League last 16.

Athletic, unbeaten in their last 12 matches across all competitions, will aim for a fifth consecutive league victory when they face Alavés this weekend performances.

Meanwhile, Villarreal and Real Betis will go head-to-head in a matchup between two teams that have seen a decline in their recent performances.

Player to watch: Julian Alvarez

The Argentine is Atletico’s top scorer with 12 goals overall since his August arrival from Manchester City.

The 24-year-old left England in search of a new challenge after often playing a supporting role to Erling Haaland, despite being a key contributor to his country’s victory in the 2022 World Cup.

Alvarez set Atletico on their way to a 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava midweek with a terrific curling effort before Antoine Griezmann’s double sealed the points.

“He’s a great player,” said Griezmann, who himself is in a rich vein of form with seven goals in his last five outings. “It’s a joy and a source of pride to have him with us and to be able to help him.”

Key stats

5 – after failing to score until November 9, Jude Bellingham has now found the net in each of Madrid’s last five league games

8 – months since Valencia’s last away league win, a 1-0 victory at Osasuna in April.

10 – consecutive wins for Atletico in LaLiga, the Champions League and Copa del Rey